Rick Tillis
{{Short description|American politician (born 1963)}}
{{Use American English|date = January 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Rick Tillis
| image =
| state_house = Tennessee
| district = 92nd
| term_start = November 8, 2016
| term_end = November 3, 2020
| predecessor = Billy Spivey
| successor = Todd Warner
| party = Republican
| birth_name = Thomas Richard Tillis
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|9|22}}
| birth_place = Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = Terry Tillis
| children =
| relations = Thom Tillis (brother)
}}
Thomas Richard Tillis (born September 22, 1963) is an American politician who served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 92nd district as a member of the Republican Party. During his tenure in the state house he served as the Majority Whip.
Tillis, who is the brother of US Senator Thom Tillis, received a GED from the Florida Department of Education. He was elected to the state house in Tennessee in the 2016 election and served until he was defeated in the 2020 Republican primary by Todd Warner. Tillis served as the Majority Whip from 2018 to until his resignation in 2019, after it was discovered that he was running a Twitter account critical of other Republicans in the state house.
Early life
Thomas Richard Tillis was born on September 22, 1963, to Margie and Thomas Raymond Tillis.{{Cite news |date=October 17, 2013 |title=Thom Tillis Is the Strategist |work=Charlotte Magazine |url=https://www.charlottemagazine.com/thom-tillis-is-the-strategist/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200807101608/https://www.charlottemagazine.com/thom-tillis-is-the-strategist/ |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2020 }}{{Cite news |title=Rick Tillis' Biography |work=Vote Smart |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/170396/rick-tillis |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807101955/https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/170396/rick-tillis |archive-date=August 7, 2020}} He received a GED from the Florida Department of Education. His brother, Thom Tillis, was elected as a United States Senator from North Carolina.{{Cite news |date=September 8, 2019 |title=Rep. Tillis steps down as Tennessee House GOP whip amid anonymous Twitter account controversy |work=Chattanooga Times Free Press |url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2019/sep/08/rep-tillsteps-down-tennessee-house-gop-whip-a/503083/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200807102058/https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2019/sep/08/rep-tillsteps-down-tennessee-house-gop-whip-a/503083/ |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2020 }}
Tennessee House of Representatives
=Elections=
File:Rick Tillis campaign logo.png
Tillis ran for the Republican nomination for a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 92nd district in the 2016 election. He defeated Michael Waggoner by forty votes and defeated Democratic nominee Tamra King in the election.{{Cite news |title=2016 primary results |work=Tennessee Secretary of State |url=https://sos-tn-gov-files.s3.amazonaws.com/1%20Republican%20County%20Totals.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201034939/http://sos-tn-gov-files.s3.amazonaws.com/1%20Republican%20County%20Totals.pdf |archive-date=December 1, 2021}}{{Cite news |title=2016 election results |work=Tennessee Secretary of State |url=http://sos-tn-gov-files.s3.amazonaws.com/TNHousebyCountyNov2016.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102045401/http://sos-tn-gov-files.s3.amazonaws.com/TNHousebyCountyNov2016.pdf |archive-date=January 2, 2022}} In the 2018 election he defeated Billy Spivey in the Republican primary and Democratic nominee C.S. Coffey in the election.{{Cite news |title=2018 primary results |work=Tennessee Secretary of State |url=https://sos-tn-gov-files.tnsosfiles.com/180802_RepbyOffice.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113192324/https://sos-tn-gov-files.tnsosfiles.com/180802_RepbyOffice.pdf |archive-date=November 13, 2021}}{{Cite news |title=2018 election results |work=Tennessee Secretary of State |url=https://sos-tn-gov-files.tnsosfiles.com/Nov%202018%20General%20Totals.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201030448/https://sos-tn-gov-files.tnsosfiles.com/Nov%202018%20General%20Totals.pdf |archive-date=December 1, 2021}} Tillis ran for reelection in the 2020 election, but was defeated by Todd Warner in the Republican primary making him one of four incumbents in the state house to lose renomination.{{Cite news |date=August 6, 2020 |title=Four incumbent state lawmakers lose reelection bids. Here's a look at the primaries with incumbents. |work=The Tennessean |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/06/tennessee-legislature-incumbents-primary-elections-2020/5572291002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200807105612/https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/06/tennessee-legislature-incumbents-primary-elections-2020/5572291002/ |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2020}}{{Cite news |title=2020 primary results |work=Tennessee Secretary of State |url=https://sos-tn-gov-files.tnsosfiles.com/Aug%202020%20Republican%20Primary%20County%20Totals.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122231846/https://sos-tn-gov-files.tnsosfiles.com/Aug%202020%20Republican%20Primary%20County%20Totals.pdf |archive-date=November 22, 2021}}
=Tenure=
Tillis introduced his first bill in 2017, which attempted to reduce the size of the Tennessee government and it was passed by the state house.{{Cite news |date=March 17, 2020 |title=State Rep Rick Tillis passes first legislative bill |work=Marshall County Tribune |url=https://www.marshalltribune.com/story/2396325.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200807110022/https://www.marshalltribune.com/story/2396325.html |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2020}} During his tenure he served on the Local, State, and Finance, Ways, and Means committees.{{Cite news |title=Representative Rick Tillis |work=Tennessee General Assembly |url=https://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/archives/111GA/members/h92.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131074804/https://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/archives/111GA/members/h92.html |archive-date=January 31, 2022}}
During the 2018 United States Senate election Tillis filed a complaint to the United States Office of Special Counsel calling for an investigation into Phil Bredesen's campaign treasurer, Virginia Lodge, for appearing in a campaign ad. Tillis' complaint alleged that Lodge, who was a board member of the Tennessee Valley Authority, was in violation of the Hatch Act by serving as the treasure of Bredesen's campaign while also serving as a federal employee. He stated that being a treasurer was not in violation of the act, but appearing in advertisements was a violation.{{Cite news |date=November 20, 2018 |title=Lawmaker files complaint against Bredesen treasurer |page=A16 |work=The Tennessean |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56865385/the-tennessean/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200807105232/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56865385/the-tennessean/ |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=August 7, 2020}}
In 2018, Tillis was selected by the Republican caucus to serve as the Majority Whip of the Tennessee House of Representatives.{{Cite news |date=November 20, 2018 |title=Selected as Majority Whip |page=A16 |work=The Tennessean |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56865262/the-tennessean/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200807104425/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56865262/the-tennessean/ |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=August 7, 2020}} In August 2019, House Majority Leader William Lamberth and Representative Andy Holt stated that Tillis had admitted to running an account on Twitter which criticized other Republican members of the Tennessee House of Representatives.{{Cite news |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Anonymous tweets. A peed-on chair. Control of the caucus campaign committee: The latest House GOP scuffle |work=The Tennessean |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/22/tennessee-house-gop-anonymous-twitter-account-pee-on-chair-andy-holt-rick-tillis-chbmole/2066321001/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200807102659/https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/22/tennessee-house-gop-anonymous-twitter-account-pee-on-chair-andy-holt-rick-tillis-chbmole/2066321001/ |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2020}} On August 30, Representative Jeremy Faison, the chairman of the GOP House caucus, announced in an email that Tillis had stepped down as the Majority Whip.{{Cite news |date=September 4, 2019 |title=Rep. Rick Tillis, facing scrutiny for role in anonymous Twitter account, resigns House leadership post |work=The Tennessean |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/04/tennessee-legislature-rep-rick-tillis-resigns-house-whip-post/2210922001/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200807102824/https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/04/tennessee-legislature-rep-rick-tillis-resigns-house-whip-post/2210922001/ |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=April 10, 2020}} On January 27, 2020, Johnny Garrett was selected to replace Tillis as the Majority Whip.{{Cite news |date=January 28, 2020 |title=Tennessee House GOP Elect New Majority Whip |work=U.S. News & World Report |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/tennessee/articles/2020-01-28/tennessee-house-gop-elect-new-majority-whip |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200807103240/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/tennessee/articles/2020-01-28/tennessee-house-gop-elect-new-majority-whip |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=August 7, 2020}}
Electoral history
{{Election box open primary begin no change|title = 2016 Tennessee House of Representatives 92nd district election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Rick Tillis
|votes = 2,344
|percentage = 50.43%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Michael P. Waggoner
|votes = 2,304
|percentage = 49.57%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 4,648
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box open primary general election no change}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Rick Tillis
|votes = 16,475
|percentage = 74.32%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Tamra King
|votes = 5,693
|percentage = 25.68%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 22,168
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box open primary begin no change|title = 2018 Tennessee House of Representatives 92nd district election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Rick Tillis (incumbent)
|votes = 4,788
|percentage = 57.18%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Billy Spivey
|votes = 3,586
|percentage = 42.82%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 8,374
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box open primary general election no change}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Rick Tillis (incumbent)
|votes = 14,249
|percentage = 75.13%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = C.S. Coffey
|votes = 4,717
|percentage = 24.87%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 18,966
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change|title = 2020 Tennessee House of Representatives 92nd district Republican primary}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Todd Warner
|votes = 3,991
|percentage = 47.25%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Rick Tillis (incumbent)
|votes = 3,304
|percentage = 39.11%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Vincent A. Cuevas
|votes = 1,152
|percentage = 13.64%
}}
{{Election box total no change
|votes = 8,447
|percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://archive.today/20200807041354/http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members/h92.html|Rick Tillis' official website}}
- [https://archive.today/20200807041424/https://www.ricktillis.com/ Rick Tillis' campaign website]
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-tn-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=Billy Spivey}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the
Tennessee House of Representatives
from the 92nd district|years=2017–2021}}
{{s-aft|after=Todd Warner}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tillis, Rick}}
Category:Republican Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Category:21st-century members of the Tennessee General Assembly